How to introduce newcomers to the basics of trapping in a positive, informational way.
Story and photos by Jeffrey Miller
Twelve expectant faces gazed inquisitively at me from the outdoor amphitheater steps. After presenting to groups about trapping many times in the past, I didn’t think I would still get nervous. I was wrong.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Miller.
I live in North Dakota, a very rural state. If a person doesn’t hunt or fish, they know someone that does. Even so, trapping is an art that is often misunderstood. Visions of giant leg-hold traps with vicious teeth holding a poor, defenseless animal spring to mind. The anti-trapping movement of the 1990s, when I was an impressionable kid, cast a dark shadow over the pursuit. Thankfully, education and discussion of ethics can often change perceptions.
While the trapping community has worked to recruit and retain new trappers around the county, getting accurate numbers on new trappers is often difficult. According to Rick Tischaefer, the president of the North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association, their voluntary Fur Harvester Education Program touches more than 250 new trappers each year.
This past autumn I was asked to perform an educational presentation on trapping and fur crafting at the annual Wild Outdoor Women event at Lake Metigoshe State Park near Bottineau, North Dakota. Amy Schimetz, of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, has crafted a wonderful program that invites instructors from a variety of outdoor disciplines to teach about their craft to women from all over the state. The Traps and Trapping course filled up quickly with a dozen women eager to learn.
Know the Audience
To prepare for any seminar about trapping, there are a few things to remember. Every trapping presentation needs to be geared toward the specific audience of the event. The WOW event, comprised of people eager to learn how to trap, was approached much differently than the presentation that I gave to a large group of Cub Scouts the previous year. Being cognizant of your audience is the first step to prepare an interesting and informative presentation.
Regardless of the audience, the introduction to fur trapping that I begin with is always the historical significance of the art. Discussion of how fur trappers predated the pioneers heading west always interests the crowd. Holding a round beaver pelt while explaining how this seemingly pedestrian animal opened the American West never ceases to rivet the audience.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Miller.
On the cool northern North Dakota morning of the WOW event, I asked each participant why they chose to sign up for the course. I’m not the kind of person who takes a lot of notes or writes out my talks ahead of time. I go in with a broad idea and refine it as needed during the presentation.
Nearly all of the participants lived in a rural home. They were interested in trapping locally and using the pelts themselves. That made my job much easier, as I could focus on animals that I primarily target, which are raccoons and foxes. I have very little experience trapping coyotes or snaring, so I would only touch briefly on those topics.
Rules and Regulations
After the discussion of the history of trapping, I shift to rules and regulations pertaining to trapping. As trappers we know the stringent laws that govern the practice, but the general public does not. I review regulations about exposed bait, inadvertent catches and seasons. In addition, ethics are thoroughly discussed. North Dakota currently does not have a set time on how long to go between checks, so I like to discuss best practices pertaining to check times. Another important talking point is the location of the trapline. Trapping away from lands used by pets and hunting dogs is discussed, as well as removing nontarget catches from traps safely. Further explanation of best practices segues well into the hardware of traps.
Gear, Sets and Lures
The picnic table at WOW was filled to the brim with the tools of our trade. Footholds, dog-proofs and body grips of various sizes were spread out to showcase the differences in sizes, shapes and construction.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Miller.
Before I ever touch a trap in a demonstration, I go over a detailed safety explanation of the operation of the trap. With the foothold traps, it’s imperative to make sure that the setter does not place their hands over the jaws. To demonstrate this, I usually set a 1.5 coilspring. I will snap the pan off, from under the jaws. Then I repeat the performance, but this time with a leather glove on. I will brush the pan over the jaws, and the crowd will invariably jump when the jaws pop around the glove. No more words are needed on trap safety.
The North Dakota Fur Hunters and Trappers Association will lend out tanned pelts, but I’m fortunate to have my own collection. Prior to explaining the traps, I will pass around the tanned pelt of the target animal. The first animal discussed was my favorite target, the raccoon.
As the pelt was passed from participant to participant, I explained the natural history of the animal. “Raccoons are very adaptable and can live nearly anywhere. They are equally at home in the swamps of Florida and in the cattail sloughs of North Dakota. They are often found near water, but aren’t afraid to venture far from it, either. As omnivores, raccoons will eat nearly everything they can get their paws on. Raccoons are often looked upon as dim-witted animals, but that’s a great disservice to their abilities. They are remarkably intelligent, although their curiosity often gets the best of them.”
As I spoke, I moved toward the forest that fringed the amphitheater. “Raccoons can be caught in a variety of sets, but there are a few go-to sets that work very well.”
Next, as I set a 1.5 coilspring trap, I explained one of my favorite sets, the cubby. “Cubbies are great for drawing curious raccoons to the trap. While a trapper who has hundreds of sets out wouldn’t go through the trouble of building elaborate cubbies, my inner kid loves to.” Then, with some sticks that were near the picnic table, I built a quick cubby. “Now we need the finishing touch to attract the raccoon to the cubby.” This is always my favorite part, as I get to pass around various lures and baits. The sweet lures often produce a surprised look on the participants’ faces, while the sour lures wrinkle noses. Those jars get passed to the next person really quickly!
Next, I introduced the dog-proof trap. For a hobbyist trapper, this is the best trap available, in my opinion, for raccoons. Each participant handled the trap as I explained how it works. If I was a betting man, I’d wager that the women purchased more dog-proof traps than any other after the seminar.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Miller.
After the land-trapping introduction, it was time to shift gears to water trapping. In North Dakota, that means beavers and muskrats. Even though we have already discussed beavers, I like to pass the pelt around again. I open the discussion with: “Beavers are big animals. Beaver traps and gear are big. Beavers take a lot of work. But every spring you will find me slogging around in the river mud, still trapping for them.”
As I passed the castor lure around, I explained how there are a myriad of products that we use everyday that are derived from it. Then setting the big double-spring trap surprises everyone, as I break it over my leg to latch it. They all agree that it looked much more difficult to set than it actually was.
A few audible gasps could be heard when I pulled out the 330 body grip. Again, safety is of the utmost importance. I demonstrated using setting tongs and how to use the safety. Last spring, I cobbled together a floating beaver set and placed the 330 in the wedge. With a stout stick, I reiterated how powerful the trap is. Smacking the trigger with the stick caused nearly every participant to jump as the trap went off. As an instructor you don’t want to scare people, but cautious fear is good when it comes to dangerous traps.
After questions about traps and techniques, I next explained how to put up fur. It would have been ideal to have had a critter there to skin, but I had to make do with a tanned fox, with the paws, on a skinning gambrel. It’s important to go over proper skinning techniques, as well as the correct knives to use. That was followed by demonstrating how to place the hide on a wire stretcher.
It’s What’s for Dinner
Personally, I feel very strongly about using as much of every furbearer as possible, especially as a hobbyist. Properly handled, the meat of some of the animals is excellent, and I stress how easy it is to turn raccoons, beavers or muskrats into a delightful meal. After participants get beyond the initial disbelief that those animals can be eaten, they are intrigued. This past summer I was part of a conservation tour, in which we had a potluck dinner in the evening. I brought a crockpot full of barbecued raccoon meat, making sure that everyone knew it was raccoon beforehand, as I didn’t want to deceive anyone. At the end of the meal the crockpot was empty.
Crafts
To wrap up each presentation I pass around fur garments that I craft from what I have caught. Headbands, hats, cowl scarves and hand muffs show the results of the fur trade. At the WOW event it fit perfectly, since I had also led a class on making coyote fur headbands. When educating the nontrapping public, it’s vital to portray the positive results. I always explain how faux fur is made with petrochemicals, a nonrenewable resource. Natural fur, on the other hand, is the greenest clothing material on the planet. It is stressed that fur harvests are strictly regulated to ensure healthy, sustainable furbearer populations every year.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Miller.
Educating people about trapping is extremely important. Time and time again our trapping heritage has been eroded away by misinformed voters. Being in the public eye and formally discussing the value and the history of the art of trapping are key to getting the public on our side. I’ve spoken about furbearers and trapping to 4-H groups, school classrooms, Boy Scouts and more interested outdoors-minded folks. The opportunities are endless. There are trappers all over the country that excel at the craft, and bringing that knowledge to the public in a positive, educational manner is an amazing privilege that will benefit the future of trapping everywhere.
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